Bolting for Europe

[hauntEd]

As of now there is not even one single italian team that could afford paying that amount of cash, neither for kobe nor for any other huge star from NBA.
Right now big money is in Russia, Greece and Spain. Milan would have potential to spend a lot of money, but the owner is not interested in it at the moment.
Kobe is emotionally attached to Italy, no doubt about that. but i dont think he is coming here in his prime, if its all about money.
Besides, Kobe loves challenges, and i dont see any challenge in coming to the Italian league (which used to be real real good some years ago, but sucks right now because of lack of cash -> no superstars) and dropping 60 points each game.. sure, he would still have Euroleague, but i still think Kobe will stay in the NBA for a while

 

[macdamn]

I know some Yanks who work overseas, most of them dont have to pay tax as long as they pay the tax in the country they work in. In this case the Club pays the tax Childress's tax on top of his salary.

Actually the U.S. is the only country in the world that requires US citizens living abroad and earning their money outside the US to pay US income tax. But they allow you to make your first $70k a year tax free, which might be why your friends don't pay income tax. These basketball guys are way beyond that, so they are in fact subject to paying US income tax to the IRS. The only way around it is to renounce your citizenship. It's pretty messed up but that's our government for you. I wonder if the clubs would help them out with US taxes too?

 

[alx468]

The general manager of the Russian team CSKA Moscow denies negotiating with Bulls restricted free agent Ben Gordon, according to Soviet Sport.
The GM called it a "dirty trick of the newspapers", and Gordon's apparent ploy to build some leverage has now officially backfired. As he wipes the egg off his face, Gordon still has to decide between accepting the Bulls one-year qualifying offer, or the six-year, $59 million offer that is still on the table...for now. His fantasy stock has fallen during these protracted negotiations, and his current ADP is 98, just below Kirk Hinrich.

 

[hauntEd]

If more current players flee the NBA for Europe, they will see a familiar face.
The Italian team Premiata Montegranaro announced on Sunday that 38-year-old Shawn Kemp has agreed to play for the team starting in November.
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"I am happy that a player that has made basketball history would come to Montegranaro," coach Alessandro Finelli said.
Finelli believed that the six-time NBA All-Star, who last played in the NBA in 2002-03, could still contribute.
"He is very motivated," Finelli said. "And he has been staying in shape to show up at our camp in good shape."
Kemp averaged 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds over 14 NBA seasons. He played eight years with Seattle, three with Cleveland, two with Portland and finished with one season in Orlando.
Finelli did not know, however, if Kemp would be the key to the season for the Premiata, which plays in the top division of Italian basketball.
"We will discover with work in the gym if he will be a key player for our team," Finelli said. "Now, it's too soon to say that."
Kemp has flirted with attempting a comeback in the NBA many times since his last season in the league, working out for a number of teams but not sticking with any of them.

 

[alx468]

The article forgot to mention his also a cocaine addict hehe...

 

[slayer202]

wonder if the dude can still play

 

[hauntEd]

wonder if the dude can still play

he looks really in shape, actually in better shape than his last nba season.
hes gonna play a couple of friendly games in my city over the weekend, cant wait opcorn:

 

[Greencastle]

The article forgot to mention his also a cocaine addict hehe...

there's plenty of players in the nba messing with coke.

kemps not the first or the last by any means.

 

[orangemonk]

the birdman

 

[orangemonk]

saying these teams dont have 50 million a year for kobe.... you think LA galaxy had 50 million a year for beckham?? kobe is still in his prime, and becks was on the decline then the galaxy got him....these italian teams will make it work if they can, and it will expand the sport over there

 

[hauntEd]

saying these teams dont have 50 million a year for kobe.... you think LA galaxy had 50 million a year for beckham?? kobe is still in his prime, and becks was on the decline then the galaxy got him....these italian teams will make it work if they can, and it will expand the sport over there

dude.. trust me
how can you just compare the LA Galaxy property with any italian basketball organizations??

dont know if you know it, but in Italy big money is all over soccer (serie A, serie B, and even the minor leagues).

Yeah.. AC Milan could afford buying Kobe.. Inter could afford Kobe.. but these are soccer teams, not basketball teams.

At the moment the richest basketball teams in Italy are Milano, Siena, Roma and Treviso, but they are not even near to the amount of money that Greek, Spanish and mostly Russian teams are able to use now.

Cska, Dynamo, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, Barcelona, Real Madrid: these are the teams that could possibly invest all that money, and still i'm not sure of that...

 

[slayer202]

It's not worth it for those teams. Both Kobe and Lebron both said it would be a temporary, one or two year kinda deal. It seems like that would be a pretty poor business investment imo, although I don't know all the numbers involved